Entries in Tesla
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In case you were wondering how it was that Jaguar would be able to recreate the handmade chassis and bodies of the nine continuation XKSS it will be selling, wonder no more. Envisage Group, responsible for building and painting the Black Cuillin Concept shown at the 2017 Geneva show, has been contracted by Jaguar Classic to supply the monocoque shells and body panels for the cars.

Each car will be built to the exact specification of the 1957 original, using aluminum panels formed on the English Wheel and via hammer forming. These skills are extremely rare today, and Envisage Group’s core group of craftsman learned their trade while apprentices at Abbey Panels many years ago. Rather than let these skills disappear, Envisage Group established a program to create new craftsmen through an apprenticeship course taught by the Abbey Panels alumni. This has helped secure Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Tesla, Mercedes Petronas GP, BAE Systems, Williams Advanced Engineering, Geely, Volvo and Nissan as clients. — CAS

It might just be possible that NTS Works has the answer to at least one major concern that plagues electric vehicles. Its Lifetime Rebuildable Battery (LRB) is both small and powerful, and can be rebuilt or upgraded for half the cost of a new replacement battery. "In my experience with electric vehicles, the battery never lasts as long as the rest of the vehicle. People want to drive EVs without having to be careful about accelerating or hill climbing — and that kind of driving kills the lifespan of the battery," says Neal Saiki, founder of NTS Works and Zero Motorcycles.

At the core of the LRB are high-density lithium-ion cells made to an industry standard size. Though similar to the batteries found in the Tesla Model S, the Samsung-sourced cells can be scaled up to power larger vehicles, and feature built-in copper conductors to reduce the heat load on the battery. Thermal monitoring of each cell is built into the design of the battery pack. Also, since the cells are separate and a standard size, they can be replaced when newer technologies with a higher energy capacity or longer life are developed, and bad cells can be identified and replaced quickly.

According to NTS Works, the battery cells are only only 1/4 to 1/2 the finished cost of an EV battery pack. Crash protection, vibration isolation, cooling and support electronics add significantly to the finished cost of the pack. These items are built into the case of the LRB, and are reused. To showcase the technology, NTS Works has a new lightweight electric bike called the Fat Free. It has a 30-mile range, and puts its power through the crank. There are three frame sizes, and it’s available starting at $2,600. — CAS

Jon Bereisa is a GM retiree, but not just any GM retiree. He was the Systems Architect responsible for the extended range electric vehicle we now call the Chevy Volt. Before that, he was the Chief Engineer, Propulsion Systems on the EV1 electric vehicle and S10 electric pickup. He also spent time as Director Advanced Engineering and Technology Strategy Powertrain for the development of GM’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technology, helped develop inverter power switch technology and the GM EV1’s inductive charging system, and a whole lot more. To say that he knows a bit about hybrids, EVs and vehicle electrification is, at the very least, a massive understatement.